Chaitanya Jyothi Museum Opening, 2000
RAMANAM
In the Name of The Father, and of The Son and of The Holy Spirit, Amen.
Countrymen,
ORBIS NON SUFFICIT
SOLUS DEUS SUFFICIT
Magnificat, Anglican Chant, William Crotch, University Of Redlands Chapel Singers
From Glenn Reynolds, no less. I commented:
The Templars and other warrior monastics were monastics, Christian orders with a military mission. Templars in particular were the military wing of the Cistercian Order, who were/are a Benedictine reform. Their mission and fighting formation were akin to modern SOF formations. But the modern formations have no religious monastic base, not officially. Templars also became bankers and huge land owners from centuries of pious donations and trust. Also naval experts. And they campaigned both tactically and strategically on their own initiative and decision.
All of those things are done now with secular basis, officially, and none of the modern Christian monastic orders has the slightest interest in anything martial. Christian morality is in fact perverted by modern Christian monastic and diocesan managers.
So, Templars or comparable are not going to reappear. The best you can hope for is comparable executive fighting ability from national SOF formations, but those have no authority from their sponsors to conduct operations (tactical or strategic) on their own initiative and decision. They can execute but they cannot resolve.
Caliphists know that, worm the resolve sector — CIA, White House, State, DOD — first before heating the execution sectors (Iraq, Syria, AFPAK, etc.). And they have succeeded, especially since 2009, but also before that. Saud still stands and he, mainly, funds the sedition and attack, domestic and foreign, on Latin Civilization. Bush held hands with him, old family friends.
We remember the Templar period wistfully because it was neither autonomous (anarchic) nor heteronomous (despotic) but balanced between, theonomous (free, cheerful). Historically most rare. The High Middle Ages were the last time Christians were both self-confident and understanding. Thus the weak and wistful look back. Caliphists see this and use Crusader (who comprised far more than just the warrior monastics) and Templar as epithets for Latin Civilization (Christians). Well they should, those are compliments.
Update 1: And Al Saud intends to keep it up. See also here.
Update 2: On 27 January 2015, Marine GEN (Ret.) James N. Mattis addressed the United States Senate Armed Services Committee on the subject A New American Grand Strategy. At Hoover Institution, who published an adapted version of General Mattis’ address, I commented — with edits here — as follows:
Not that it matters, but, I both appreciate and despond over General Mattis’ address here. Appreciate because (1) as a genuine warrior he says what he sees and eloquently and (2) his heart is unalloyed courage and compassion. Despond because (1) his address reflects lack of situational awareness — half his auditors at least regard the nation state, including USA, as obsolete and perishing — and (2) his address, although latterly specifying or implying serious tactical weaknesses of current operations, transits the periphery of his title: grand national strategy.
It is rare for a military leader to grasp and execute the several strands — principally diplomatic, economic and military, but others as well — of grand national strategy sufficiently to create a rational grand national strategic *goal* that is also inspirational. It is rare for anyone to be able to do that. General David Petraeus has that ability, which is why the Anti-American, Globalist-partisan US Justice [so-called] Department is persecuting/prosecuting him. Asking Congress or a bureaucracy to develop that ability and execute with it compares with asking a herd of cats to organize an expedition to summit Annapurna. Distilling and serving a happy grand national strategic *goal* is a personal, leadership thing few can do, but some definitely can and do accomplish. Their thoughts merit discovery and attendance.
The cynosure of a nation is not her grand national strategy. It is her grand national strategic *goal.* Given what we see now, project and anticipate — always expecting the unexpected, as General Mattis mentions, thankfully, in his address — where and what do we want to be as a nation three, five, ten, etc. years hence? What is our goal? What do we really, truly — as a nation — want for and of ourself to be, to do, to think? What is our inner necessity as a nation? What are we on this earth to accomplish as a national presence? And why do members of Congress not live in the states from which they were selected for office?
Related: On 04 March 2015 Marine GEN (Ret.) James N. Mattis wrote for Hoover Institution under title Using Military Force Against ISIS. I commented:
I am content that GEN (Ret.) Mattis’ thinking, clear and compelling, be expressed in public. Thank you, General! Our countrymen are working their way towards how they will think and what they will do when they are quit of the hag riding their back. And they will be that. This exercise in preparation for the restoration of national sovereignty and wealth flowing from national moral and intellectual strength is what should be happening and what is happening. I am content.
Update 3: An interesting comment string arose at Instapundit when Glenn Reynolds referenced Mark Cunningham on the subject of what The Fraud should say about Islam. I commented as follows, making an important observation regarding the effect of religion on affairs:
Were I to take Cunningham’s essay as serious thought — and I think it is not — I would say his face is too close to the canvas, he has seen a couple of swirls of paint and yelled, “Eureka!” Were he serious, he would pull back to ponder the whole canvas or at least more of it than has caught his fancy. His enthusiasm would, shall we say, moderate.
Serious, productive thought cannot come from other than a monastic. Men and women bearing the daily burdens and cares of life, such as Cunningham, simply cannot and will not create intellectual and moral forms that benefit anyone lastingly. They are too busy, and justly so, one hopes. Such men and women can use such forms once they are created, but create them they can not and will not. Those stepped way back from the canvas — monastics — do that. The truth is the whole.
Update 4: The Templars Show How To Fight ISIS And Win
Update 5: Americans helping Kurds.
Update 6: The Saudi Connection: Wahhabism and Global Jihad, and related: Qatar.
AUM NAMAH SHIVAYA
